Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between St Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands and New York, NY

For one person, living is cheaper in St Thomas: $4,375 a month against $4,906 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $6,400 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in New York, NY outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

210

Cost of Living Index in St Thomas
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St Thomas Living Index
234

Cost of Living Index in New York, NY
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New York, NY Living Index

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St Thomas

🇻🇮 U.S. Virgin Islands

$4,375

/mo nomad

New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,906

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in St Thomas and in New York, NY

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in St Thomas and in New York, NY actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $4,375 per month in St Thomas vs $4,906 in New York, NY, rent included.

St Thomas $4,375
New York, NY $4,906

A couple spends around $7,200 per month in St Thomas vs $7,273 in New York, NY, rent included.

St Thomas $7,200
New York, NY $7,273

A family of three spends $10.0K per month in St Thomas vs $9,641 in New York, NY, rent included.

St Thomas $10.0K
New York, NY $9,641

St Thomas is about 11% cheaper than New York, NY, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both St Thomas and New York, NY sit above the global median – St Thomas by 224%, New York, NY by 263%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.37 $22.37

$26.93 $26.93

-16.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$167 $167

$117 $117

43.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.67 $13.67

$14.60 $14.60

-6.37%

Cappuccino

$5.86 $5.86

$6.54 $6.54

-10.40%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.11 $4.11

$3.86 $3.86

6.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.40 $3.40

$2.95 $2.95

15.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.94 $4.94

$8.08 $8.08

-38.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.95 $6.95

$9.85 $9.85

-29.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.83 $2.83

$1.31 $1.31

116.03%

White Bread (500g)

$6.51 $6.51

$4.97 $4.97

30.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$18.92 $18.92

$7.70 $7.70

145.71%

Eggs

$8.96 $8.96

$6.09 $6.09

47.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.53 $11.53

$19.55 $19.55

-41.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$28.41 $28.41

$17.59 $17.59

61.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$39.70 $39.70

$20.26 $20.26

95.95%

Apples (1kg)

$12.31 $12.31

$6.99 $6.99

76.11%

Banana (1kg)

$10.80 $10.80

$2.21 $2.21

388.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$12.27 $12.27

$6.72 $6.72

82.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$20.18 $20.18

$7.12 $7.12

183.43%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 $1.96

$4.61 $4.61

-57.48%

Onion (1kg)

$8.78 $8.78

$4.78 $4.78

83.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$7.91 $7.91

$2.87 $2.87

175.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$5.66 $5.66

$2.69 $2.69

110.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.14 $19.14

Wine (Bottle)

$24.58 $24.58

$19.63 $19.63

25.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.32 $3.32

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.07 $6.07

$4.19 $4.19

44.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.02 $2.02

$3.02 $3.02

-33.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$60.7 $60.7

$139 $139

-56.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$19.70 $19.70

$3.04 $3.04

548.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.13 $3.13

$2.20 $2.20

42.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.33 $41.33

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.40 $1.40

$1.13 $1.13

23.89%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$54.1K $54.1K

$34.5K $34.5K

56.91%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$48.3K $48.3K

$25.8K $25.8K

86.99%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$451 $451

$232 $232

94.06%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$101 $101

$71.0 $71.0

41.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$153 $153

$67.7 $67.7

125.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$166 $166

$115 $115

43.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$76.8 $76.8

Cinema Ticket

$10.09 $10.09

$22.41 $22.41

-54.98%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$1,502 $1,502

$3,606 $3,606

-58.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.4K $22.4K

$68.7K $68.7K

-67.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$115 $115

$79.3 $79.3

44.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$149 $149

$51.4 $51.4

189.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$199 $199

$121 $121

64.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$148 $148

$140 $140

5.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,604 $1,604

$4,555 $4,555

-64.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,786 $1,786

$3,040 $3,040

-41.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,297 $3,297

$9,742 $9,742

-66.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,222 $4,222

$5,331 $5,331

-20.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,832 $4,832

$18.2K $18.2K

-73.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$10.6K $10.6K

$6,685 $6,685

58.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,723 $2,723

$5,096 $5,096

-46.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.45

6.89

37.16%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for St Thomas: November 3, 2026

Last update for New York, NY: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

St Thomas

$1.8K 40.8%

New York, NY

$3K 62% 70.2% $1.3K

Groceries & Markets

St Thomas

$961 * 22%

New York, NY

$567 11.6% 41% $394

Monthly Utilities & Internet

St Thomas

$704 16.1%

New York, NY

$371 7.6% 47.3% $333

Eating Out

St Thomas

$359 8.2%

New York, NY

$425 8.7% 18.4% $66

Clothing & Footwear

St Thomas

$275 6.3%

New York, NY

$176 3.6% 35.7% $98

Sport & Entertainment

St Thomas

$186 4.3%

New York, NY

$160 3.3% 13.8% $26

Getting Around

St Thomas

$104 2.4%

New York, NY

$165 3.4% 58.9% $61

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,604 in St Thomas versus $4,555 in New York, NY. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 87% higher in New York, NY. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $167 in St Thomas versus $117 in New York, NY. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $961 vs $567 – making New York, NY the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇻🇮 St Thomas

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🕒 Local time

17:50 5:50 PM

16:50 4:50 PM

1 h behind St Thomas

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

20,000

8,804,190

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.895 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

St Thomas New York, NY 2,630 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

St Thomas
New York, NY

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

St Thomas vs New York, NY: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

New York, NY costs about 12% more than St Thomas, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $6,562 per month in St Thomas and $7,358 in New York, NY. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in St Thomas, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,604 there versus $4,555 in New York, NY.

Kindergarten costs $1,502 per month in St Thomas and $3,606 in New York, NY. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 41% cheaper in New York, NY – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

Families tend to lean toward St Thomas – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with St Thomas. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, New York, NY makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.